FIRST ON FOX: A Senate Republican wants to change Washington, D.C.’s criminal code to redefine what it means to be a “youth offender.”
Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., introduced legislation that would tackle an element of crime in the district that President Donald Trump has fixated upon: young people between 18 and 24 years old receiving less stringent sentencing.
Under D.C. law, people in that age range are considered youth offenders and receive deferred sentencing for a variety of crimes as part of the city’s Youth Rehabilitation Act.
However, Banks’ bill, the DC Criminal Reforms to Immediately Make Everyone Safe Act, or DC CRIMES Act, would lower the age range definition to 18 years old, eliminate judicial discretion to allow judges to sentence youth offenders below mandatory minimums, prevent the D.C. government from changing mandatory minimums or sentence guidelines for any crime and requires that the D.C. attorney general collect and publish data on juvenile crime in the district.
“My bill backs President Trump’s mission to restore law and order in our nation’s capital by cracking down on violent crime and enforcing real consequences,” Banks told Fox News Digital. “Make Washington, D.C., safe and great again!”